|
Human history is blighted with appalling instances of racism. These attitudes have continued for centuries and continue to adversely affect our world today.
Recent history is full of atrocious examples. The United States slave trade took people from Africa to serve white people in the South and though the trade has long since been ended, its effects can still be felt in the country. It was only in the 1960s that the civil rights movement, led by the likes of Martin Luther King (below) forced any sort of equality.
http://www.thekingcenter.org/
In Europe, we saw the rise of Hitler and the Nazis, which led to the appalling extermination of Jews in Europe.
http://www.bethshalom.com/
With so many other examples to call upon, such as South Africa’s apartheid, it would be easy to assume that we have learnt our lesson from history. But we haven’t. Newspapers such as the Daily Mail in UK and far right politicians continue to blame their country’s problems on minorities and immigrants. Sure, there are injustices in virtually every nation, but to blame problems on people who have moved to another country in search of a better life is short-sighted and lazy.
Despite world history being littered with examples of the evils of racism, it still takes a place in mainstream politics. The UK’s Conservative Party put a strong focus on immigration. Despite the Party’s insistence it was “not racist” to confront the issue, it was quite clearly an attempt to win votes by pandering to prejudices.
http://www.greenparty.org.uk/comment/286
With our world now suffering from religious tensions and instability, it is even more important that we respect each other in our society, no matter what their backgrounds. We must respect differences, not hold prejudice and work together to make sure racism is once and for all, consigned to history.
|
